Rahul Mehta Gandhinagar LsCandidate

Modiji's empty threat that he will print law that doctors must prescribe generic and not branded medicine is ONLY an attempt to collect bribes from Pharma companies and NOTHING ELSE
.
No such law will come. And if any such law comes, it will be full of bribe making loop holes.
.
eg consider law that Modiji has printed in Gujarat that no school can take fee over Rs 30k per year per student , and if they want to take higher fees, then they need PERMISSION of committee of 6 men appointed by Modiji !!! And what would be criteria for permission? bribe, bribe, bribe and nothing but bribe. IOW, the law has huge BRIBE GENERATING LOOP HOLE.
.
Now lets take the issue of generic vs brand name
.
Consider common pain killer and fever reducing chemical - paracetemol . Now Crocin and Metacin are BRAND NAME from some companies.
.
The doctor today has choice - he can either write Paracetemorl (500 mg per day) or Crocin (1 tablet per day) . or Metacin (1 tablet per day). If doc write Paracetemol, then chemist can decide whether he would give Crocin or Metacin or some table which has paracetemol.
.
Most doc today write tablet name, and not chemical name.
.
Now less than 5% doc deliberately write expensive tablet names for personal benefits. Some companies have good quality control and take more price, and some companies have less good quality control and charge less. The doc will guess the paying capacity and need, and depending of that he decides the tablet.
.
And some companies do have poor quality, charge more and they try to bribe doctors to prescribe their medicine,. But less than 5% of doctors in India DELIBERATELY prescribe expensive medicine for personal gains. And using these 5% doc as pretext, NaMo is creating a perception as if all doctors are taking illegal money from pharma companies !!!
.
Today, lets look at players in medicine business. PM, CMs, Helath Ministers, MPs, MLAs etc make laws. IAS etc enforce it. And other players are chemists who sell medicines, phrama companies who make them, hospital owners and doctors.
.
Of all these players, docs are LEAST corrupt. And Ministers / IAS , MCI-chairman etc are far more corrupt. Modiji's law will ask more corrupt people to supervise :LESS corrupt people !!! Obviously, the mess will increase.
.
Given the law-drafts Modiji printed in Gujarat to cap schools fees, it is clear that Modiji ONLY believes in converting a problem into bribes. "kisi ke ghar pe aag lagi he, apani khichadi paka lo" (someone's house is on fire, let me cook my food using that fire). That what leadership is about --- as opposed to activism whose goal is to extingusih fire.
.
So some lame duck law will come, or pharma
companies will give bribe and ensure that no law comes.
.
------
.
In any case, what is the SOLUTION?
.
First, the problem that doc prescribe expensive medicine of poor quality even when same quality medicine of lesser price is available is there ONLY in 5% docs. The problem is far far LESS serious that problems like corruption in PMO, PMO giving away sector after sectors of economy to USUK elitemen for bribes, Missionaries rising powers, corruption in judges etc etc. No sensible activists will attend this small problem given that there are far more pressing problems like PMO handing over sectors of economy to USUK elitemen etc.
.
Still if someone wants to ignore these problems and insists on focusing of generic / brands problem, here are the solution
.
(1) Right to Recall Health Minister, Jury System over Health Minister staff at cenral as well State levels
.
(2) GoI can make a website where a person can enter medicine name and website will show medicines with same chemicals and their prices
,.
(3) The website can also show equality reports from Health Ministers' staff
.
(4) Let patient decide if wants to take the medicine doc suggested or whether he wants to go for cheaper or more expensive medicine
.
One can the website accessible via APPs and GoI can put terminals at hospitals / pharmacies etc where this information will be available.
.
And Govt should make pharma companies which makes as many medicines as possible as cheap rates.
.
But putting chains on hands of docs, on what doc can write and not write, as of today in India, where docs are LEAST corrupt in whole medicine business, will ONLY increase mess and extortion.